Illusion
by TheCupcakeMonster
Summary: Who is this figure that is always around, that no body else can't see? Is Naruto the only one who can? But...he's real..isn't he? Naruto can't seem to figure out whether the "illusion" of Sasuke is fake. Rated for some language and yaoi lemon. Complete
1. Chapter 1

**AN: I dont know, man. Mountain Dew and boredom can do a lot to a person. I suddenly had the urge to write a SasuNaru fiction, even though it's not my favorite couple...but. Yeah. Here it is.  
I couldn't think of anything good for the first chapter, so sorry it's so short.  
Please review, my people, even though it sucks!  
**

**DISCLAIMER: I do not own Naruto or any of it's characters!**

Three years, seven weeks, twenty five days. It had been two years, seven weeks, and twenty five days since Sasuke Uchiha had left the Leaf Village.

"Eh, Sakura-chan!" Naruto Uzumaki called to his teammate from the other end of the street. "Where's Sai-san? I haven't seen him all day."

"Neither have I," Sakura replied, walking with her blond teammate up to the training grounds. Sai was their replacement teammate, though Sakura hated the word "replacement." She still believed that Sasuke would come back one day and resume being their third teammate, like nothing ever happened.

The rest of the Genin had given up hope of finding him, including Sakura and Naruto.

"Do you think he could already be there?" Sakura suggested, gazing up at the bright sun.

"I don't know, may-HEY, look there he is!!" Naruto leaped over the river and greeted Sai, smiling. "Wanna train today?" He asked brightly. Sai simply nodded, being mysteriously quiet like he usually was. Naruto and Sakura had grown used to that, and dismissed it as they would.

The team trained until sundown, when they said their goodbyes and went their separate ways. Naruto stayed behind a while, walking slowly down the street and looking at the sky. He felt thoughtful that day for some strange reason, like he was ready for any question. Actually, all he thought about was Sasuke. He thought about his face when he occasionally and rarely smiled. He thought about his arrogant and snobbish manner, but his willingness to protect his teammates. With a sad smile, he remembered when they went to the Village Hidden in the Mist and fought Zabuza and Haku. He remembered how they all thought Sasuke had been killed by Haku's mirror jutsu. He pictured Sakura's face as she wailed into the sky at the thought of never seeing her beloved again. Vaguely, he recalled the Nine Tailed Fox's Chakra exploding and breaking all of Haku's secret mirrors.

"How odd," he said out loud to himself. "I haven't really thought about all the memories we had before Sasuke left the Leaf Village…why now?" He lowered his eyes as he reached his apartment. Throwing his jacket onto the ground, he got into bed and turned his head to the wall, feeling wide-awake. He was in a sort of a bubble, that only let him see and think about what was in his mind. It was like his thoughts that he was trying to get rid of bounced off the bubble's surface and smashed right back into his head. He wasn't sure if he could take anymore of these flashbacks he kept having.

He sighed as he suddenly remembered the day at the Academy, when they accidentally had their "first kiss" much to the horror of all the girls. He didn't count that as his first kiss, but his and Sakura's. It was in the middle of the sidewalk, when he had asked her out on a date for a least the thousandth time, and instead of answering, she kissed him. He considered that to be his first kiss and not his and Sasuke's because that wasn't intentional. He hated it and he didn't enjoy any part of it…right?

"Naruto-chan!!" A voice hissed from outside. "Naruto-chan, wake up!" He looked out the window to see Sakura standing in front of his door with a worried look on her face. He didn't bother putting on his shirt again, stepping outside and facing Sakura.

"What is it?" He asked groggily.

"I want to tell you something," she said, fidgeting.

"What?" He rubbed his eyes.

"I've been thinking about Sasuke-chan a lot." Naruto raised his head, furrowing his eyebrows.

"Me too," he admitted. "I just can't see to get him out of my mind. I mean, I keep thinking about everything that…everything that-"

"Everything that happened before he left," Sakura finished for him. "Yes, I have too. What do you suppose it means?"

"Maybe nothing," Naruto shrugged. "Maybe a lot. We gave up the search a while ago, I don't think it means we should go after him again. I don't know if we could do that."

"Me neither…should we just forget about it?"

"That would be best." Naruto frowned as Sakura began to cry for no apparent reason.

"Sakura…" he said awkwardly, putting his hand on her shoulder. He wanted to be sympathetic, but really he was getting quite angry. He believed Sakura was regretting picking Naruto over Sasuke, leaving behind her deep crush for the Uchiha. Maybe she thought she could have kept Sasuke in the village if she had loved him a little longer.

But she loved Naruto now!!…didn't she?

"Sakura don't cry!" He said a little more forcefully. "You know…I hate to see you cry." His heart softened as he realized he knew Sakura didn't regret choosing him over Sasuke, and even if she did, he could never stop loving her with all his being. He wrapped his arms around her and hugged her to his chest, stroking her back.

Sakura melted into his embrace, noticing how much Naruto had changed in the past couple years; from a cocky, annoying brat to a passionate, caring lover. She suspected that Sasuke's absence brought this sudden change in him because the depressed cloud over Sasuke's friends made Naruto think more of others. Also, there was no one to work him up and make being the best the only thing on his mind. Sakura felt a little bit guilty for liking the way Naruto was without Sasuke, but also wishing that the Uchiha was still with them. Her heart was in two and her mind in pieces and she didn't know what to do.


	2. Chapter 2

**AN: Sorry for the short chapter. OH AND WARNING! VERRRY slight yaoi in here. Like, one kiss.**

**Well, I've decided to update every Wednesday and Saturday, so here it is!**

** Please review everyone! Thank you!**

**DISCLAIMER: SIGH I do not own Naruto**

Days turned into weeks. Weeks turned into months. Four months had passed and Naruto kept thinking about their old teammate, Sasuke Uchiha. Nothing else was on their mind; not training, not Sakura, nothing. One day just pushed him over the edge.

He was at home, lying in bed, for he thought he caught a cold, but he just really didn't feel like going outside. He closed his eyes and put the dark haired ninja out of his mind, but to no avail. He recalled the time when he fought Gaara of the Sand during the Chuunin Exams. They had to cut the exams short because of it, because of the attack on the Leaf Village. He remembered fighting Shukaku as Sakura was being held by the monster's vicious claws. He saw the pained look on Sasuke's face, as he watched everything happen before him. Because of his Curse Mark, he couldn't even move.

Naruto cringed at the memory and tried to think of a happier one. He pictured Sasuke's face, the day they first became teammates. Neither of them were very happy with the news, but they accepted it reluctantly. It wasn't like Naruto hated it completely that he was put with Sasuke, he actually liked the opportunity to show Sakura he could be better than the Uchiha. Seeing Sasuke everyday made him stronger and more determined to achieve his goal of becoming Hokage. Now that he was gone, Naruto was just depressed and lazy.

Sighing, he put his hands behind his head and turned to his side. His eyes were foggy and it was dark, but he thought he saw a person lying next to him. He narrowed his eyes and tried to make out the "figure" and held his breath. He thought he saw Sasuke.

Strangely, he didn't move or edge away from this illusion, but stared into the transparent eyes.

"Why am I thinking about Sasuke being here?" He whispered to himself. "I wonder…what he's thinking about…right now." He shut his eyes on the "Sasuke" and pretended that it was really him and not a fictional fragment of his mind. Slowly, Sasuke's body was filled outand his eyes shone with life. "Sasuke?" Naruto asked softly, ignoring the fact that he was talking to himself, and not the real teammate.

"Naruto…" Sasuke said, his voice echoing off the walls. "It's been such a long time since I've seen you." His skin was completely white, but Naruto was hardly bothered by it. His breath hitched in his chest as Sasuke leaned up and kissed him. His lips were wispy, like a ghost, and the blond almost didn't feel it.

"Sasuke…why did you kiss me?" Naruto said quietly, when the raven beauty had pulled away.

"Because I want to," Sasuke said huskily, but then he started to fade. "I've always wanted to." Then he totally disappeared.

"Sasuke, don't go!" Naruto cried out, tears coming to his eyes. He reached out the stop his friend, but his hand brushed nothing. Just the cold air that lingered from the apparition.

That night, Naruto tossed and turned in his sleep, his dreams filled with Sasuke's kiss. Every minute he tried to sleep, he sat up with a start, thinking Sasuke had come back to him. Was Sakura having the same problem? Did Sasuke visit her, too? He might as well find out, he couldn't take this feeling anymore, the feeling of having someone beside him all night.

When he opened the door, he was greeted by a soft sunlight, surprised that it was already morning. He made his way down the street and to Sakura's house, stopping with his fist half raised to her door. Should he? "Sakura!!" He called, knocking slightly. "Sakura, are you there?" He heard shuffling on the other side and the lock clicked. Sakura appeared through the crack in the door, looking like she had been awake for a while.

"Mmm, hi Naruto," she said. "What is it?"

"Sakura, I need to talk to you about something," he ventured. "Can I…can I come in?" "Yeah, sure, come in," Sakura ushered him inside and shut the door. "What's on your mind?" "Sasuke," Naruto burst out. "He's on my mind."

"Oh really…?" Sakura put her chin in her hands, looking into the blonde's big blue eyes.

"Yeah, really…I feel like he's been with me all night. Like he's just there. I don't know what it means," Naruto looked at the ceiling, trying to keep tears from spilling over.

"Naruto, I think it means you miss him," Sakura concluded with a frown. "It's okay to miss him. I miss him too."

"I don't---yeah…I do miss him," Naruto admitted. "But I didn't think it'd go as far as seeing him when he's not there." Sakura nodded and took his hand in hers.

Suddenly, he saw him. Naruto saw, just behind Sakura. It was Sasuke. He had shown up again, and was beckoning the blonde with his finger.

"What are you looking at?" Sakura asked, sounding concerned.

"Turn around!" Naruto shouted, pointing at Sasuke, who hadn't moved. She turned, and furrowed her eyebrows.

"What is it?" She asked Naruto.

"It's Sasuke!" Naruto cried. "Sakura, can't you see him?" "Nobody's there…Naruto," Sakura slid her hand away from his and turned on a light, to make sure nobody was there. It was empty, quiet.

"Sakura, stop messing with me!" Naruto said, his voice raising. "He's right there!" He stood up abruptly and pushed Sakura aside, taking a hold of Sasuke's shoulder and showing him to the pink haired ninja. "See!?" Sasuke smiled at Sakura, and said,

"Sakura, I am here." But Sakura heard nothing. To her, Naruto was showing her the air, his own desperation.

"Nothing's there, Naruto," she said roughly. "Nothing's there." "You don't know what you're talking about!" Naruto hollered, pushing himself up against the wall. "I know what you're doing! You're trying to keep Sasuke to yourself! I won't let you, I won't…" Sasuke silenced his former teammate by stepping forward and putting his finger to Naruto's lips.

"She doesn't understand," Sasuke said sweetly, nosing the blonde's neck. "She'll never understand. But don't worry. She won't have me to herself. I'm all yours." Naruto gasped as Sasuke's cold skin touched his and he knew the Uchiha was right.

Sakura watched in horror as Naruto arched his back into a caress she could not see. Was it really Sasuke? Was Naruto seeing things? But before she could ask any of these questions, Naruto had sprinted out the door and she could see him run down the street and disappear behind the corner.

She put her hand to her head and sighed deeply. Whatever the hell was going on, it had lured Naruto in far.


	3. Chapter 3

**AN: I know I was supposed to update on Saturday, but I was really sick, and I didn't want to update today either, but I figured I had to...I'm seriously thinking about abandonning this story, because it just seems...rushed. I dont know. **

**I appreciate your reviews, people, if you like this or not. :) Thanks all!**

**DISCLAIMER: sigh...Naruto does not belong to me...**

"Sasuke…Sasuke, are you still there?" Naruto said groggily, lifting his head and rubbing his eyes. He looked around and saw him, the dark-haired Uchiha lying next to him with his lids closed, breathing deeply. Naruto put his hand on Sasuke's back, letting his fingers rise and fall in time with his breaths. Sasuke did not stir, but sighed in pleasure. Naruto didn't care what Sakura said, he knew Sasuke was really there with him.

Slowly, the Uchiha awoke, smiling up at the whiskered ninja above him. Sasuke never really smiled, but when he did, it was incredibly wonderful.

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Sakura, Shikamaru, Ten Ten, and Neji had gathered in Sakura's apartment to discuss Naruto, as Sakura took it very seriously.

"…and I think Naruto is seeing things," Sakura concluded. "I don't know what to do about it."

"Do you know how long this has been going on?" Neji asked. Sakura shook her head.

"I just found out about it last night…do you think we should do something?"

"I don't see what we _could _do," Ten Ten commented. "It's not like we could force Naruto to stop seeing Sasuke…"

"But what if something bad happens!?" Sakura exclaimed.

"Like what?"

"No, I see what she's saying," Shikamaru said, frowning. "This could be a whole jutsu by Orochimaru or even the Akatsuki, trying to kidnap Naruto. You never know."

"But if it was a jutsu," Neji disagreed. "Everyone would be able to see it. Not just Naruto."

"Not necessarily…" Shikamaru shut his eyes and thought for a second. "It could be a jutsu that bends Naruto's mind into_ thinking _that someone is there."

"What are we going to do!?" Sakura repeated.

"All I can think of is to watch him until something new happens," Ten Ten shrugged. "Just don't let him alone for a long time, alright?"

"I understand," Sakura nodded sadly, and stood up. Leaving her fellow ninja watching her, she traveled to Naruto's apartment. She burst in without knocking, for she didn't feel like she needed to do that as Naruto had forgotten all about her anyway.

"Naruto!" She called. No answer. She went up to his room and saw her blonde teammate still in bed, and it looked like his arms were wrapped around something, something invisible. She knew immediately what this invisible thing was; Sasuke.

"S-Sakura?" Naruto muttered without looking at her. "Is that you?"

"Yes, Naruto it's me…what are you doing?" At first, Naruto didn't answer. He just moved his position and then all was silent.

"Naruto?" Still no reply. Sighing, she retreated back outside his room and leaned against the door. "I can't deal with this…" she said to herself. "I'll just stay here until he wants to talk to me." She tiptoed away and sat down on the floor, looking at the ceiling. Something bad was going to happen…she could feel it.

That night, Sakura slept on Naruto's living room floor. She was afraid that if she left, something would happen when she was gone. However, Naruto didn't leave his room once, and she didn't risk going up to speak to him. It was almost torture, having everything be so silent all through the night, so…mysterious.

Back upstairs, Naruto had stayed in bed with Sasuke. He hadn't bothered to get up, for he knew that Sakura had stayed. He didn't feel like talking to her, so he simply ignored the kunoichi.

"Naruto, I think you should go speak to Sakura," Sasuke said softly, trailing his finger up Naruto's chest. "She's down there…all alone."

"Why should I?" Naruto retorted. Sasuke was about to reply, but was halted when he saw the raven's face became fuzzy. He was fading.

"Sasuke?" Naruto whispered meekly. The Uchiha scowled and turned away from the blonde. He seemed troubled, or even sad.

"Damn it," Sasuke murmured.

"What is it?" Naruto asked, becoming concerned. But Sasuke's body completely evaporated from view, and he was no longer there.

All of a sudden, Sakura heard a low scream, and it sounded alarmingly like Naruto. She bolted up to his room and found him half out the window, calling for someone.

"Naruto, you're going to fall!" She screamed, grabbing a hold of his waist and trying to pull him back in. Succeeding, they tumbled across the floor, Naruto crying uncontrollably. Sakura grabbed his shoulders and shook his shoulders gently.

"What's going on?" She demanded.

"He's gone!" Naruto shrieked, backing up from Sakura and pressing himself against the wall. Sakura knew at once he was talking about "Sasuke." She took him into her arms, in a failed attempt to comfort him. He pushed her away and ran to the door, throwing it open and darting down the stairs. All the way down the street, Naruto ran, until he made his way to the river where he sat down and cried. Tears flowed from his eyes as he buried his face in his hands. He didn't understand why Sasuke had simply disappeared; how was that possible? Did he dislike Naruto, so much as to leave him without warning? Suddenly, a voice echoed through his ears; it was so distant and quiet, he was sure it could only be heard in his own head.

"Please do not be angry with me," Sasuke said softly. "My leaving was not expected. If you wait until tonight, I will be back…I promise." Naruto wiped his eyes and the voice was silenced. He felt a little bit uneasy; he couldn't decide if he really trusted this so called Sasuke.


	4. Chapter 4

**AN: Mahh, there will be lemon in the next chapter..hmm...hopefully. **

**Anyways, this is turning out okay I guess. (pathetically short chapter warning) I'M SUPER UBER SORRY I DIDNT UPDATE ON WEDENSDAY! I was really busy and all that stuff, so I'm posting two things on Saturday, hooray!**

**Please review peoples! I'm leaving you guys wondering! Who's Sasuke? Is he real? WHAT'S GOING ON!? You'll find out either in the next chapter, or the one after that...maybe :)**

**DISCLAIMER: I totally own Naruto...yeah...I wish**

Sakura could hardly keep her eyes open. She was standing outside the door, waiting for Naruto to come back. She felt like going out and searching for him, but she was worried that he would run away from her.

She leaned her head on the wall, her eyelids drooping. She snapped them open when she heard a noise on the other side of the door. She held her breath, as she found out it was Naruto, with a serious expression.

"Naruto, where have you been?" Sakura asked casually. He didn't even answer, he just went straight to his room and slammed the door. Sighing, Sakura took her place back on the hard wood floor next to the kitchen and tried to sleep.

"Sasuke, where are you?" Naruto called meekly, looking up at the ceiling. "Sasuke……?" A figure appeared in front of him, just popped into view out of midair. Naruto could tell it was Sasuke before he saw him, because the way his body was shaped, and his sharp face. And his aura that sent a chill up the blonde's spine.

"Naruto, I told you I'd be back," Sasuke said, gliding over to Naruto. "Did you not believe me?" He stroked Naruto's cheek, staring deep into his blue eyes.

"Of course I did," Naruto replied honestly.

"Good…" Sasuke circled his finger around Naruto's lips, teasing him. The blond reached closed his eyes and opened his mouth, an invitation for Sasuke to explore. Sasuke understood, grateful for Naruto's easy surrender. He closed his eyes as well and kissed the kitsune, their lips moving together. Even though the kiss was almost not there, Naruto enjoyed it all the same. Sasuke wasn't an illusion; he couldn't be. He was so real, so…_touchable_. He couldn't understand why nobody else could see him, but that didn't matter. They were together now.

Naruto moaned into Sasuke's mouth as the raven slowly slipped his hands up his shirt. His skin was cold and light, sending shivers up the blonde's body.

"Naruto…" Sasuke whispered after they had parted.

"Sasuke…where have you been…? All this time?" Sasuke hesitated, going stiff against Naruto's side.

"Please know that I regret leaving you," he said at last. "I do not regret leaving the village."

"W-what?"

"I only wish you could have come with me."

"S-so you're not staying for good?" Sasuke shook his head.

"But Sasuke!" Naruto cried, shifting away from the Uchiha's tight embrace. "You're here now!"

"That's true. I'm here for you."

"I don't understand." Sasuke put his finger to the younger's lips, silencing him.

"You don't need to," he explained. "As you said, I'm here now." Naruto nodded reluctantly, letting Sasuke kiss him again. The raven pushed his tongue into the tasty cavern he was massaging and swallowed the incredible flavor.

When Naruto finally pulled away for air, a thin line of saliva connected their tongues and they both gasped.

"W-what does that mean, then?" Sasuke sighed; his blonde was refusing to let it go. Of course he couldn't tell his sweet, innocent Naruto the truth!

"Naruto…you're making this difficult," Sasuke said firmly, and Naruto pouted. The raven stared at the perfect, plump lips and leaned forward to kiss them again, but Naruto turned his head away.

"I want to know…why you've come back," he said, "if you're not staying."

"I'll stay," Sasuke promised. "But just with you."

"Why just with me? Everyone would be so happy to see you again!"

"No they won't, Naruto," Sasuke tried to sound reasonable, but his voice rose dangerously. "They'll hate me. That's why I'm just here with you. Why, you want to share me?" He added teasingly, touching the tip of Naruto's nose with his fingertip.

"Well…I just want everybody to be happy again! Especially Sakura! Why can't they see you?"

"They don't understand. Only you understand."

"Why only me?"

"So many questions…" Sasuke squeezed his eyes shut in frustration. He knew how Naruto was and always had; stubborn, determined, irritatingly persistent. But that's what he loved.

"Answer me!" Naruto demanded.

"Are you really so daft?" A blush exploded on to Naruto's face and Sasuke chuckled; he absolutely adored that blush.

"D-don't call me names!"

"Right, I'm sorry," Sasuke nibbled on Naruto's ear, moving down to suck on his neck.

"D-don't…don't distract me…" Naruto moaned, tilting his head back to give Sasuke more skin to lavish.

"I can't help it…you're so delicious."

"Mmfff…Sasuke…d-do---ahh…" Words were unobtainable for Naruto as his body heated up, trying to muffle his moans.

"Sasuke…I want…I want t-to tell you s-something," Naruto squeaked, panting as Sasuke withdrew his mouth as gazed at him.

"Tell me," he said eagerly.

"From the beginning…" He whispered nervously. "I-I…I've always loved you…"

"W-what?" Sasuke, probably for the first time in a while, blushed deeply, his heart melting.

"Y-yes…"

"T-then…you hid it well," Sasuke muttered, intertwining their fingers together.

"I-I thought you'd…hate me if I said it," Naruto admitted blurrily. "So I never told you. W-would…would it have changed your mind about leaving?"

Sasuke didn't reply, and Naruto understood that answer well enough.

"That would have made it harder," the Uchiha said at last, frustrated. "For me."

"Oh…well…d-does that mean…you belong to me?" Sasuke chuckled at the way Naruto had put it, but technically, that _was _the truth.

"Yes," Sasuke promised, hoping that was the end of Naruto's questions. "I belong to you and only you."

"I-I'm…glad…" Naruto sighed. He might not know exactly what was going on, but he had Sasuke with him, and that was all he cared about.

The raven pulled Naruto in a deep kiss, tangling his fingers in his golden hair.

_He belongs to me…_ He thought happily. _But…I feel a little guilty for not sharing him. Sakura had been missing him as well, not just me. And all my other friends risked their lives to help me look for Sasuke. And now…here he is. But…Sakura can't see him! That means…he's only mine. Nobody else can have him. _Naruto closed the matter and let his mouth be invaded, finding the thought plainly comforting. Was he confused? Yes? Did he care? Not so much.


	5. Chapter 5

**WARNING! YAOI LEMON AHEAD!!**

**AN: This is a crappy lemon, I know, but I needed to put it in here. Now you all knew what's going on. I might as well warn all of you that this is A SAD STORY! I put in this little SasuNaru scene just to make you all happy, but the next chapter is SAD and the rest of the story will be SAD! I wanted a SAD story so I wrote one! I'm just warning you so you don't yell at me if I cause you a exessive tears at the next chapter...you've been warned...**

**DISCLAIMER: I don't own Naruto**

On the second day, Naruto still hadn't come out of his room and Sakura was becoming irritated. He had locked his door, and refused to open it to her, no matter what she said. She could hear him talking to himself, day and night, having a real conversation as if someone was there. He'd ask how "he" felt about him before "he" left the Leaf Village. Sasuke was apparently Naruto's imaginary friend now, and Sakura worried he had gone completely insane.

She stayed for a couple more hours before deciding to go to Lady Tsunade. She'd definitely get Naruto to talk, and maybe they'd figure out this entire thing.

She quietly slipped out the door and rushed to Hokage Tower.

Naruto hadn't noticed Sakura's absence; he was too busy asking questions. Sasuke had made it quite clear he didn't want any more questions about why he was there, that was against the rules. So, Naruto started inquiring about his _feelings _before he departed Konoha.

"Naruto, this is embarrassing," the raven complained, absentmindedly twirling a lock of golden hair in his fingers. "You know it's hard for me to admit these kinds of things…"

"But you can tell me, right?" The younger Genin let Sasuke play with his hair, trying not to fall asleep at the gentle touches.

"I guess…" Sasuke sighed. "W-when we first became teammates, I was ecstatic." He blushed furiously at Naruto's excited squeak, but the blonde silenced immediately at the obvious discomfort on Sasuke's face. He knew it was difficult for the Uchiha to say these things so bluntly, and he was happy he was getting him to say anything at all.

"I…I had always wanted to be closer to you," Sasuke went on, and he was so scared he was visibly shaken. Under these specific circumstances, he felt guilty for saying this to Naruto, when they could do it face to face. Instead, poor Naruto was talking to…

**

_An illusion _

**

"Damn it, I can't keep this up!" Sasuke screamed, trying hard to keep his concentration on his jutsu. A figure stalked into the otherwise empty room at Sasuke's outburst, amused.

"Still up to those tricks, Sasuke?" Kabuto asked slyly, lightly putting his hand on Sasuke's shoulder. The raven shrugged it off hotly and ignored his question.

"You know, you can't fool Naruto for long. He'll figure it out."

"He won't figure it out," Sasuke said through gritted teeth, this conversation already denting his focus. He didn't want to disappear in the middle of this important moment, when Naruto was so vulnerable and innocent.

"You're shaking," Kabuto commented, his teasing tone turning to concern. "You want to talk to him, don't you?" Sasuke didn't answer at first. He didn't turn around, for the tears were already pouring endlessly down his cheeks.

"You're crying." It wasn't a question.

"I want to talk to him so badly!" He cried, the jutsu wavering. He saw the illusion fade a bit, the shocked expression on Naruto's face, then relief as it filled out again. Naruto didn't even question the strange occurrence, the fact that 'Sasuke' had suddenly disappeared, then reappeared again.

"Listen, Sasuke…" Kabuto looked at his feet.

"Orochimaru would never let me go back," Sasuke interrupted, frustrated. He couldn't just sneak out, because they'd surely catch him. "Even just to see him. Even if I'd come right back."

"If you went to see him, only to leave again, it'd kill him," Kabuto said, and Sasuke knew he was right. "You shouldn't have even brought up the illusion. You have to break it sooner or later. Orochimaru will find out, and you'll be in trouble then. How long do you expect to keep this up?"

"As long as he wants."

"He wants it to be forever." Sasuke couldn't think of a reply to that. He couldn't keep up the justu forever, and he couldn't go through life with Naruto thinking it was really him, and not just an illusion. On top of that, his friends were beginning to think he was crazy. Soon, they'd demand answers, and Naruto wouldn't have them.

"I can't break it," Sasuke whispered. "He's so happy."

"It'll be better for him if he just forgets about you," Kabuto pointed out. "It might hurt for a while, but he'd go on living, _without _the stress of _you_." Sasuke flinched, refusing to believe that Kabuto was correct. He loved Naruto way to much to break it off now.

"I can't…"

"You have to."

"I won't!"

"Sasuke!"

"Get out!" Sasuke shrieked, his voice shrill and cracked against his tears. "Leave me alone!" Kabuto waited a moment longer before shrugging and shuffling out of the room.

Then, Sasuke resumed his raspy crying, his bleary heart and vision making it hard for him to continue the jutsu. The illusion was crying now too, and couldn't explain why. Naruto was anxious, frightened, and Sasuke sucked in a breath and closed his eyes.

"I'm okay Naruto," he said out loud, matching the illusion's words perfectly. He didn't need to say them aloud, but he couldn't help himself. "I'm sorry."

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"So, Sasuke, you were saying?" Naruto urged. He had recovered instantly after Sasuke's little episode of soft, mute crying, and was already back on pressing him for information.

"Naruto, will you do me a favor?" Sasuke asked, holding out his hand. Naruto took it gratefully, giving it a comforting squeeze.

"Of course."

"Will…will you let me tell you something? Do you promise not to be…upset?" Sasuke didn't know how Naruto would react; would it accept the illusion as second-best, or would he find it not satisfying and leave for good?

"O-okay…" Sasuke was troubled, and the blonde saw it.

"I…I'm not--" His sentence was cut short by a loud pounding at the door, and an angry voice shouting at Naruto to open it.

Naruto answered it reluctantly, not taking his eyes of Sasuke. He was greeted by a smirking chesty, blonde woman and she shoved inside without so much as a greeting.

"Alright Naruto!" Tsunade barked. "Are you crazy or what?"

"Grandma Tsunade?" Naruto raised his eyebrows. "What are you doing here?"

"I'm here for an explanation!" She looked questioningly around the room. "I don't see anybody here." She turned to Naruto, her expression suddenly serious.

"Do _you _see anything, Naruto?" She inquired, and Naruto had to look away from the firm gaze Tsunade was boring into him.

"I-I don't see anything," he said shakily, and Sasuke's composure faltered.

"That's right, Naruto," he said calmly. "I belong to you. They don't understand. Make her leave, make her know that I'm yours." Naruto nodded, and Tsunade cocked her head, confused.

"I don't see anything," he said louder, folding his arms across his stomach. "Why are you here?"

"I've got a hysterical pink girl in my office yelling at me," Tsunade growled. "Saying that you're seeing things and you've gone crazy! Don't tell me I came all the way down here for nothing?"

"You came all the way down here for nothing," Naruto smiled cheekily. "I'm not crazy." He still didn't understand why no one could see Sasuke, he wasn't even sure he knew what Sasuke _was. _His form sometimes became grainy, like a picture was fading out, and his skin was so cold and ghost-like.

But he looked like Sasuke, felt like Sasuke, sounded like Sasuke. It had to be him, no matter what other conspiracy was going on, it just _had _to be him.

"Damn!" Tsunade threw her arms into the air in exasperation and headed out of Naruto's room. "Come all the way down here…" She grumbled as she stomped out. "I'm gonna fix her up right, probably some freaking trick…damn!!"

"She knows," Sasuke told him once the Hokage was out of earshot. "She can't see me because she knows I belong to you. You were very brave." Naruto smiled and blushed, his confusion washed away by immense happiness.

"Ahh, well, I'd do anything…if it meant I got to stay with you." Sasuke cringed, but Naruto didn't catch it. He bounded over and tackled the Uchiha onto the bed, pinning his hands against the mattress. He didn't hesitate it giving him a loving kiss before slipping his hands up Sasuke's shirt.

_I can't do this! _Sasuke thought frantically. _If we have sex, I won't be able to keep the jutsu! It'd all be ruined! _He remembered what he was about to say before Tsunade burst in; he was going to confess that it wasn't really him, it had been an illusion all along.

But the thought of being intimate like that with Naruto was enough to flood his body with lust. Even if it was just temporary, Sasuke wanted him, needed him.

"Wait, Naruto," he stopped the blonde from continuing, the decision made. He'd sneak out, just for a while, even if Orochimaru would catch him and force him to come back.

"Follow me, don't ask questions," Sasuke ordered, grabbing Naruto's hand and leading him out the locked door of his bedroom.

Naruto opened his mouth to ask "where are we going?" but held his tongue as Sasuke pulled him into the vacant streets of Konoha. There was no one around, and the raven was grateful for the emptiness as he quickly left the confines of the village.

Naruto's eyes were narrowed as Sasuke led him further and further away from the gate, into the forests. They crashed through giant trees, until vines and roots were the only thing visible.

Finally, the came to a small opening where a copse of tall trees circled a grassy patch wet with old rain. They stood there panting in complete silence, until there was a rustling in the other direction. Naruto spun around in alarm, and Sasuke released his hold on the kitsune's hand.

A lean figure appeared out of the trees, and Naruto gasped. It was Sasuke, it looked exactly like Sasuke. He moved his gaze to the Sasuke he had been spending his days with, to the Sasuke that had just emerged, and then back again.

"W-what's going on here?" He demanded, his voice quivering. Suddenly, a cold gust of wind brushed past him, and the first Sasuke was gone. Just like that, he had disappeared.

"W-what happened t-to him?" Naruto stammered, backing up to try and search for his Sasuke, looking around to see if he had really just vanished.

"Naruto, it wasn't real." The blonde jumped at the other voice, realizing the person that looked like Sasuke was still there.

"W-who are you?"

"I'm the real Sasuke, that Sasuke was just an illusion," Sasuke explained quietly, reaching out.

"I-I don't believe you!" Naruto shied back, but he knew this Sasuke looked a lot more…_real. _He was shaped like an actual body, not just a wispy shred that took the silhouette of Sasuke. And there was a real light in his eyes that shone with a number of emotions.

"I made the illusion," Sasuke went on sadly. "It wasn't real."

"How do I know you're not just making this up? How do I know _you're _not the illusion!?" Naruto tried to keep arguing, but he was slowly understanding.

"Please believe me, Naruto!" Sasuke whispered, lowering his head in shame. "I couldn't bear to be away from you…so I created the illusion that would allow me to be close to you. But it wasn't very strong, and I made it so only you could see it. I'm the real Sasuke!" He repeated, clenching his fists at his sides.

"P-prove it…" Naruto muttered, but he already knew. He knew Sasuke had created the illusion. Instead of depressed, he felt relieved, like a giant boulder had been lifted from his shoulders. He was in touching distance from Sasuke Uchiha, the one he had loved from the very beginning, and it seemed as if Sasuke loved him too. However, there was a nagging doubt in the back of his mind that told him this wouldn't be forever. Sasuke would have to leave, and they might never see each other again.

He ventured back to the illusion…he had believed so fiercely that it was the real Sasuke, but not the pieces were finally beginning to come together; being invisible to everyone except for him, the odd disappearances at random times, then reappearances again after a couple hours, the thin, frail skin that could only belong to a bloodless _thing_, not a living being.

Sasuke created the illusion so him and Naruto could be together, even if it was through a mindless clone that couldn't be relied on for a long amount of time.

Sasuke smiled warmly. "You're not upset?"

"I-I guess not…but why didn't you come back yourself?" Naruto asked, but he already knew the answer.

"Because Konoha would not accept me," Sasuke stretched out to clasp Naruto's hand, and the blonde let him. It felt warm and full, like…a real person. He didn't tell the blonde he didn't _want _to come back to Konoha...

"And…I couldn't, because of--" Naruto nodded; he didn't want to say the name, let alone hear it. "But…there are things an illusion can't do, no matter how real they may seem."

"W-what's that?" Naruto couldn't help but to hope that Sasuke would be able to stay with him, come back to the Leaf Village where everyone would welcome him back. They'd live together, happily ever after and there'd be no more problems.

But things weren't that easy.

"Naruto, you know I can't stay," Sasuke warned, thinking he might as well let him know the consequences of what they both wanted. "I'll have to go back soon, and I'm not sure if this will be…the last time…we…"

"I don't care!" Naruto interrupted, pinning Sasuke up against a sturdy tree. "I care that you love me enough to make an amazingly difficult jutsu just to see me."

"L-love…?"

"Don't you?"

"Of course!" Sasuke's face turned scarlet before he knew what he was saying. "I thought…I thought you would be mad…"

"Why would I be mad?"

"I-I don't know…I just--I just wanted you to be happy."

"You've done that already." Naruto pulled Sasuke away from the tree and captured his lips in a heated kiss, showing the raven how happy he really was. They swayed precariously until they collapsed on top of each other, rolling around in the damp grass until both of them were cold and soaked.

"I don't care if you can never come back!" Naruto cried, tears pouring down his cheeks and splashing onto Sasuke's face. "I don't care if this is the last time we'll ever see each other! Just promise you won't forget me!"

"I'll find a way," Sasuke vowed meekly, his heart shattering at how desperate and sincere Naruto was. "I'll find a way so we _can _be together."

"Don't worry about it now," Naruto silenced him with another loving kiss, surrendering himself so Sasuke could slip his tongue in. He did so gratefully, poking around Naruto's cheeks and gums, running over his teeth. He moved down to give a quick nip to the blonde's bottom lip before latching his lips on his pale, slender neck.

"What do you want, Naruto?" Sasuke asked seductively, trailing red bite marks all along his smarting flesh. "Tell me." He thought he could enjoy this while it lasted, and worry about everything else later. He'd figure out a way, no matter what he had to do. He loved Naruto, and he knew it.

"I want…" Naruto whimpered, arching his back as Sasuke gently snaked his hands up his shirt. "You…inside me…" Both boys blushed at Naruto's answer, even though Sasuke was expecting it.

"I want…to be inside you," Sasuke replied huskily, his already painful erection throbbing at their words.

"Then do it!" Naruto demanded, grabbing the raven's shoulders and crushing their bodies together.

Sasuke took in a deep, shaky breath and lowered his head to gently latch his lips onto Naruto's neck again. The tan column was warm and soft, and he couldn't help himself as he sunk his teeth in, drawing blood which he hungrily lapped up. A delicious moan slipped from Naruto's lips as he arched his back into Sasuke's soothing touches. He massaged his neck with excellent movements, marking it, making sure Naruto belonged to him, and only him.

"M-more!" The blonde cried, and Sasuke instantly obliged. He loosened the waist band of Naruto's pants, pulling them down to his ankles. The kitsune impatiently kicked them off, smiling at the blush Sasuke gave him when he saw there was nothing underneath.

"Naruto…" he breathed, taking in the sight of his blonde with hungry eyes. "I--I…"

"Hurry up!" Naruto demanded, bucking his hips up. "S-suck me hard!" The raven bit back a cry of delight; he didn't know this side of Naruto, and he liked it!

He leaned down, hovering inches above Naruto's throbbing erection. He held down the blonde's waist, preventing him from forcing his length into Sasuke's mouth.

"S-Sasuke!" Naruto pleaded, digging his fingernails into the Uchiha's shoulders.

Sasuke, succumbing to Naruto's desperate cries, licked the tip of his leaking cock. He wasn't expecting the taste, and he wrapped his tongue around the head, wanting more of it. Soon, he had taken the whole thing into his mouth, bobbing his head up and down to swallow as much as he could. Naruto struggled against Sasuke's hold, the warmth searing through him making his bleary-eyed with lust.

Sasuke was just as overwhelmed, sucking until he couldn't breathe. He felt Naruto tense, and opened his mouth wider. Not seconds after, Naruto came violently, screaming Sasuke's name to the sky as he released into the hot mouth enveloping him.

The raven swallowed all of it, finally getting his wish of tasting his precious blonde. Naruto panted harshly, forcing Sasuke up to give him a long kiss, and he tasted himself.

"T-that's enough," he broke away and lay down on the cool grass, cringing as the cold dew stung his heated back. "I need you in me." He was being completely honest, and he couldn't wait anymore.

"D-do you have any lube?" Sasuke asked nervously, not wanting to hurt the blonde _too _much, even though every instinct was telling him to pound Naruto into the ground. When was he ever going to get this chance again?

"N-no…" Naruto pressed his legs against his chest, lifting his hips up. "U-use your tongue." Sasuke was about to argue, but decided against it and instead settled himself between Naruto's legs.

He darted out his tongue and licked the blonde's hole, circling it until he had the younger ninja moaning his enjoyment.

Without warning, he shoved his tongue in, sticking it in as far as it would go. Naruto gasped at the intrusion, the feeling of a wet slippery tongue inside him…

At the delectable sounds he was receiving, Sasuke swirled around the tight ring of muscle until it was twitching with need. Naruto's climax was aggressive and unexpected, the muscles around Sasuke's tongue clenching.

He removed it carefully, cleaning off Naruto's chest until there was no more semen sticking to his skin.

After slicking down his own member with saliva, he positioned himself at the blonde's entrance, his legs hooked around the Uchiha's waist.

"A-are you gonna be okay?" Sasuke asked awkwardly.

"Y-yes!" Naruto panted. "Put it in!"

He didn't need to be told twice, and he slowly pushed in the head of his member. Naruto gasped, tears starting to fall down his cheeks. Sasuke waited until the blonde adjusted, then pushed in a little more. He repeated this process until he was fully sheathed, his cock melting in the velvet heat surrounding him. He waited until Naruto had stopped squirming before pulling out and thrusting back in again.

Naruto screamed, clawing desperately at Sasuke's back as he tried to take deep, calming breaths.

"D-do you want me to stop?" The raven grunted, looking at Naruto with concern.

"No!" Naruto said firmly. "F-feels so good…!" At those words, Sasuke thrust in violently, Naruto's body being flung backwards like a rag doll.

Sasuke nearly lost it as the kitsune starting ordering him to go faster, harder, _deeper. _He didn't know Naruto could talk so…dirty! He imprinted himself inside Naruto, striking his prostate with every vicious thrust.

Finally, Naruto came for the third time, hollering Sasuke's name until his throat burned. Sasuke unbelievably kept thrusting even after Naruto's climax; he wanted to keep it going, afraid of what would happen if he wasted the opportunity.

With one low cry, Sasuke came deep inside the slim blonde, shuddering for what seemed like hours. He hoped he didn't fill Naruto _too _much…

"Ohh…Sasuke!" Naruto moaned as Sasuke gently collapsed on top of the spent ninja.

"You were right Naruto!" Sasuke cried, running his hands all over Naruto's sweaty chest, mapping out every feature, every curve. "I love you so much! I don't know what I'm going to do if we're apart!"

"Don't think about that now!" Naruto scolded. "We just had amazing sex, you shouldn't be worrying about other things!" Sasuke smiled, reluctantly agreeing.

Suddenly, a figure slashed out from the tall trees, nothing but a blur in the leaves. The two boys ignored it, but then the noise was louder until it was right next to them.

They didn't have time to even look up before strong arms draped around Sasuke's stomach and lifted him up.

"Orochimaru!" Sasuke wailed, kicking his legs against the snake man's back.

"We're leaving, Sasuke," Orochimaru growled. "You're lucky I'm not going to kill you for sneaking off." Sasuke opened his mouth to protest, but knew he could do nothing; he _had _snuck off when he had sworn loyalty to Orochimaru so many years ago, and if he disobeyed, Orochimaru would kill him, and then he'd have no hope of ever being with Naruto. He still wanted to be away from Konoha, he was still set on getting revenge on his brother, but he only wished Naruto could come with him…

He tried to think of a way to separate the two; either stay and gain ultimate power, or live with the love of his life and have a happily ever after.

Naruto leapt up to try and pry Sasuke from the man's grasp, but he shot a warning glance at the blonde.

"I'll come back for you," he promised solemnly.

"I don't think so," Orochimaru laughed. "You won't be leaving my sight anytime soon!" And with that, he stalked away, Sasuke gazing sadly at Naruto as they departed.

Naruto gazed right back.


	6. Chapter 6

**LEMON AHEAD! AND IMMENSE SADNESS!**

**And the sad begins. I warned you in the last chapter, and here it is. I hope you're all not too mad at me for doing this, but..you know...it was pretty interesting to write. I usually don't cry when I write my own chapters, but this time I did XD**

**Please review peoples! **

**DISCLAIMER: I do not own Naruto, just this teeny like heart-breaker XD**

**PS...**

**I have sick fetishes**

"How was it?" Kabuto asked casually. Sasuke had been locked in his room for days now, accepting his punishment warily. He was planning, thinking.

"What are you talking about?"

"The sex."

"WHAT!?"

"Don't think Orochimaru kept it a secret. He told me how he found you, lying on Naruto like that, completely naked---"

"T-that's none of your business!"

"You don't need to get defensive about it, I'm just asking," Kabuto shrugged, and went to go sit by Sasuke on the floor. He put his arm around the Uchiha, who promptly shook it off.

"I see the way you stare at him, how you always used to trail after him," Kabuto chuckled, unperturbed by Sasuke's obvious coldness towards him. "You always loved him, huh?"

"Shut up!"

"Don't hide it."

"Who the hell do you think you are?!"

"I'm just trying to figure you out, that's all."

"There's nothing to figure out," Sasuke said firmly, not meeting Kabuto's gaze.

"You didn't answer my first question. Was it your first time?"

"I told you that's none of your business!"

"Were you top?"

"Shut up!"

"Naruto was bottom? I bet he screamed a lot."

"_Shut up!!_"

"You were nice and hard?" Sasuke silenced the arrogant questions by slapping Kabuto right across the face, leaving an angry red streak.

"Wow, I didn't know you had it in you!" Kabuto grinned, backing away in delight. "Fine fine, you don't have to give anything up, but I wouldn't tell anyone, you know--"

"Get out!!"

"No need to shout!" Kabuto contently watched Sasuke wallow in guilt and misery, making sure he made no noise, so the raven would not be bothered. He sympathized with Sasuke; he knew what it was like to love someone and not be able to be with them…

He raised his head at a soft sniffling, and realized with a jolt that it was coming from Sasuke. With a chuckle, he stood up and towered behind Sasuke, snaking his hands to cover the Uchiha's eyes. He did not protest.

Tears streamed silently from his eyes, over Kabuto's fingers.

"Remember, Sasuke," Kabuto cooed. "You can't see, so see _him_. See Naruto."

"G-get…get o-out…" Sasuke repeated half-heartedly, listening to Kabuto in bewilderment. He was seeing Naruto, seeing his sunshine face and happy smile, and the tears came faster. He tried to keep them in, ashamed of crying, especially in front of Kabuto, but he couldn't stop. He bit his lip to swallow a sob, but one slipped past his lips anyways. He wouldn't use the illusion again; since Naruto knew it was illusion, it wasn't the same. No, he'd either see Naruto in person or not at all. He'd figure something out…somehow…

Then, he pictured the last time he saw him, writhing in a pool of ecstasy and pleasure, and, much to his embarrassment, he hardened.

"I can feel the heat radiating off your body," Kabuto said lightly, gently caressing Sasuke's damp face. "You're thinking of that time with Naruto, how wonderful and _beautiful _it was, aren't you?"

"I-I'm not---" Sasuke started to insist, but he knew Kabuto was completely correct.

"You're already hard," Kabuto removed one hand from Sasuke's eyes to firmly grip Sasuke's arousal through his robes, and Sasuke moaned despite himself. He pretended they were Naruto's hands; he was too weak, mentally and physically, to protest whatever Kabuto was doing.

"W-wait---" Sasuke objected quietly. "I-I can't…"

"You belong to Naruto, don't you?" Kabuto sneered, and his sympathy turned to malice. Why should Sasuke get his happy ending when he couldn't and never would?!

"You don't want to do anything with anyone besides Naruto, do you?" He continued. "I wanted that too! But there's no such thing as happily ever after! There's obstacles, and sometimes you can't overcome them. Take this as a personal challenge, huh? You're always driving yourself past your limits, why is this any different?"

"P-personal challenge?"

"Will you be able to handle it? A shinobi needs to be ready for anything; a shinobi feels nothing. What if Naruto gets killed? That would make it that much harder for you to let go. Believe me, it's better to not get yourself emotionally involved with anyone. They all either die, or betray you. There's no point." Sasuke began to understand what Kabuto was saying, but it was strange that he'd be the one to say it. True, being a ninja meant making sacrifices, and not feeling anything when a loved one is killed before you. Sasuke knew he couldn't do that, and he never thought of Naruto ever being…_killed. _Naruto was hunted by many, and even though he was strong and skilled, there was only someone out there who was better. One day, he'd have to go on a mission, one day he'd have to face that someone who was better than him. Then what would happen?

"I'm right, and you know it," Kabuto went on, oblivious to Sasuke's bitter musings. "If you are a ninja, Orochimaru's _favorite _even, you need to know what to do in any given situation. Don't love, don't feel. It's not worth it."

"So why are you doing this to me, if you feel nothing?" Sasuke wondered. "To challenge me? To make me _suffer_?"

"You could say that," Kabuto shrugged, forcefully shoving Sasuke to the ground. "But I would say it's more…revenge, than a challenge or spite."

"You're taking your revenge on me?"

"Yes, I am. Cruel, isn't it? However, this is a _fraction _of the cruelty I felt. You're getting off easy."

"Why do you want revenge?" Sasuke knew revenge went deep, past your skin, all the way to your heart. He wanted revenge against his brother, Itachi, and that's why all this started. That's why he joined Orochimaru…was he regretting it, now that Naruto was involved?

"I want revenge against someone who lied to me," Kabuto explained grimly, momentarily pausing from completely undressing Sasuke. "Against someone who was purposely loving, just so he could see me fall."

"Then go after him."

"Easier said then done," Kabuto chuckled darkly.

"Why me, then?"

"I would have liked you if I hadn't been shown there's no such thing as love. There is only hatred."

"What will you do, after you're done with me?"

"I suppose I'll be done then…it depends on how good you are." Sasuke grimaced; he was frightened, but he wouldn't admit it.

He wondered why he was putting off the fact that he was calm, since he knew what Kabuto was doing. In a way, he felt sorry for Kabuto's sadness, for his ache for revenge. Sasuke himself had done many things he regretted now for revenge, and they were much worse than taking it out on the person that was already _meant _to be your slave. He hated using that term, but Kabuto was in charge of him, and had permission to do anything he wanted. He didn't see why Kabuto was using sex as a way out of his revenge, that didn't work. If anything…it'd make him more prone to Sasuke, more liable to love him, despite what he said about love not existing. Then again, Kabuto was a complex, confusing person.

But even if he _thought _he felt sorry for Kabuto, he always knew he was a sneaky little rat who would do anything to get what he wanted.

There was nothing, absolutely _nothing _Kabuto could do to make him stop loving Naruto. He'd wasn't going to give himself up. He couldn't. Not even for Kabuto, the one that _owned _him.

"You know, I can do anything I want to you," Kabuto reminded him. "According to Orochimaru, you're mine."

"I'm yours in another sense than what you're thinking," Sasuke confirmed.

"All I want to do is show you what will happen if you love. If you love, there will be nothing but tragedy."

"You know I don't think that and never will."

"I know."

"What were you expecting?"

"You to slap me again." Sasuke didn't reply. He just wished he could have gotten rid of his own revenge, but he was _not _being "the way out" for Kabuto.

"You would be rough…" Sasuke commented absentmindedly. He was confident Kabuto wouldn't win, so he tried to get some information out of him. Maybe it would useful. He wasn't about to give himself up to the likes of _Kabuto_. "Because your experiences…were rough. The ones that caused this revenge?"

"You're correct."

"Will you tell me who it was? Will you tell me why you're so bitter?"

"I can't tell you who it was," Kabuto sighed. He didn't want to explain all this to Sasuke, so he changed the subject, knowing it would hit a nerve with the raven. "There's no such thing as love anyways, so I can see why you'd feel nothing towards Naruto this way."

"That's not true!"

That's when Kabuto made his move, ignoring the outburst and going straight towards Sasuke's shameful erection. He took the whole thing into his mouth, mercilessly sucking as hard as he could.

Sasuke moaned, ashamed of his reactions.

"I'm going to this…I told you I would…" Kabuto grunted, scraping his teeth along Sasuke's length.

Sure, he understood what Kabuto was going through, and how badly he wanted to rid himself of that burden towering over him, that nagging feeling that he had to do something to the person who turned his life around. But that didn't mean he'd go through with it.

_I'm so stupid!_

"Stop!" Sasuke shrieked, pushing Kabuto off him, panting harshly. He didn't think Kabuto would be so quick, and there was no way he was going to let this happen. His confidence shattered; Kabuto wasn't teasing him, or making things up. He was truly set on having Sasuke's body.

"I _knew _you were weak!" Kabuto sneered. "One day, you'll be alone, and you'll regret ever falling in love in the first place! Fuck you, I'll doing this whether you like it or not!" Sasuke started to interrupt, but Kabuto had already pulled out something from his weapons pouch. It was a handful of thin, long needles. They were so slim, they were hardly visible, but they were sharp and would certainly leave some damage if used.

"You won't escape from me," Kabuto growled, choosing two needles and shifting in between Sasuke's legs, settling himself on the ground. "You're so sure that you will get what you want, that you and Naruto will end up together. You believe so fiercely in your love that it _disgusts me_! Why couldn't I have been the one to get your happiness? Why did I have to get all the bad luck and end up torn and heartbroken? There's no such thing as love, damn it! There's no such thing! Stop being so persistent! Accept that it will never happen!" Kabuto's smirk turned into an evil grimace, spreading across his face. His eyes were fuming with rage, and his entire body was trembling with fury.

Before Sasuke could even utter one single word, Kabuto flipped him onto his hands and knees and forced his hands against the wall. He then pierced the needles through the backs of his hands. Sasuke cried out as the points went through his skin and nailed him down to the wall. Blood poured down his arms, and every time he tried to move, the needles would dig further into his flesh.

Then, without batting an eyelash, Kabuto ripped off the rest of Sasuke's clothes, revealing every part of his pale skin. His cock was limp with displeasure, and he whimpered as Kabuto started tying his ankles together with thick rope. He was trapped.

"P-please…stop…!" Sasuke pleaded, appalled that he would lower himself down to begging, but what else could he do?

Kabuto ignored him, positioning his rather large erection at Sasuke's entrance. He tried to twist himself around, but the needles in his hands prevented him from making even one movement.

"N-no…!" He gave one last shout of discomfort before Kabuto shoved in, not hesitating in thrusting with overwhelming strength. He was so violent, Sasuke instantly felt blood roll down the backs of his thighs, and the smell made his stomach turn. He felt lightheaded, like he was going to pass out at any second. But the pain searing through him kept his wide awake, alert, devastatingly aware of every thrust Kabuto gave.

Not slowing his pace, the older man slithered his hands around Sasuke's waist, gripping his member and stroking with harsh, powerful motions.

Kabuto temporarily removed his hands to grab another needle, then went back to aggressively pumping the Uchiha. Then without warning, he sliced through the head of Sasuke's cock with the needle.

The pain was indescribable. Sasuke's screams were long and loud, and there was nothing he could do _but _scream. He'd never felt such agony before, and in such a degrading manner too!

"This is the first time you've had something put here?" Kabuto asked, like it was no big deal. He still hadn't ceased his cruel thrusting, striking Sasuke's prostate every time. "How pathetic. I bet this is your first time, too." It wasn't Sasuke's first time, but Kabuto seemed to have taken a sick pleasure out of the thought of being the first to penetrate the great Sasuke Uchiha.

"How about another one?" Kabuto suggested wryly, adding another needle to accompany the first in Sasuke's length. He pushed it in extra slow, so Sasuke would feel it just that more clearly.

Sasuke's wails and moans was what pushed Kabuto over the edge, and he dug his fingernails into the raven's hips as he spilled himself inside the writhing Uchiha.

The amount of cum Kabuto released inside him made Sasuke come almost immediately after. The needles convulsed at the hot seed shot from his member, and the feeling of orgasm-ecstasy and tremendous pain made Sasuke's vision go black for a moment.

Finally, Kabuto viciously snatched himself out of Sasuke's brutally abused hole, pulling the needles from his hands, then untying the rope. Sasuke collapsed onto the blood and cum covering floor, massive spasms shuddering through his entire body. He felt…like he had just left his body, or something much, much worse.

"We won't speak of this to anyone, understand?" Sasuke merely nodded, that small movement making his head spin. "Pathetic," Kabuto repeated, then hurriedly redressed and made his way out of Sasuke's defiled room. As the door slammed, Sasuke took the solitude to cry. He couldn't remember a time when he cried so hard; earsplitting sobs erupting from his blood-drenched lips. He lay there, curled up in a tight ball, for what seemed like hours. It was singly the most horrible thing that had ever happened to him, and he didn't know how he was going to face Kabuto tomorrow without wanting to kill him.

When he had gathered up the strength to stand up, he stumbled over to the bathroom. He rested his head against the cool tile of the floor, and gently touched the first needle in his cock. The pain hadn't dulled one bit, and he took a deep breath and ripped the needle out.

He had bite down on his finger to keep from screeching, but a few blurry cries couldn't be held back. Blood spilled onto the floor, and it was a while before he regained his focus so he could remove the other one.

The excessive blood-less instantly made him feel sick, and he wobbled over to the toilet where he bent his head and emptied the contents of his stomach. He hunched over like that until his muscles ached, but he didn't want to leave the bathroom if he was going to be sick again.

So, for the rest of the day, he drifted in and out of consciousness on the bathroom floor, the door locked. No one came looking for him, like he expected. All he wanted was to see Naruto, was to fold himself in his warm arms and forget this had ever happened. But that dream was far away, and he had no idea how he was going to get to it. He was at a complete blank of how he and Naruto would be together. If this was the kind of thing Kabuto and Orochimaru did, Sasuke definitely did not want to be here anymore.

Revenge…

The reason he was here was because of revenge. The reason for Kabuto's actions was because of revenge. Revenge abruptly became a stupid waste of time. Would he trade a lifetime of happiness for a lifetime of servitude? Could he forget what Itachi did for Naruto? Naruto was making his life hell, giving him all these second thoughts and self-doubt!

He banished his puzzlements and tried to concentrate on not being sick again. He leaned his head against the wall and closed his eyes, blocking out his thoughts as he slowly floated off to a gloomy, restless sleep.


	7. Chapter 7

**MORE SAD STUFF AHEAD!!!!**

**AN: Well....yep. That just happened. I can't believe I late that happen. I feel kinda bad. OH WELL. I wanted to call this chapter something like The Missing Puzzle Piece or something mysterious like that...there is officially only two chapters of this thing left. I have been neglecting this forever, so don't be expecting it any time soon. Oh well...if you've read Lifeline, GO VOTE IN THE POLL!**

**And please review! Mwahh!**

**DISCLAIMER: I do not own Naruto...**

"So you feel fine?"

"Yep."

"You don't see anything…unusual?"

"Nope."

"Well, I'm glad you're feeling better."

"Uh huh."

"And I'm glad you have such a vast vocabulary."

"Thanks." Sakura had been visiting Naruto daily, now that the blonde had stopped claiming that Sasuke was there. But she couldn't shake the feeling that Naruto seemed different, distant, like he was thinking about something else.

"Do you want me to stay with you?" Sakura asked.

"No, I'm okay," Naruto replied, unnerved by the thought of Sakura staying with him through the night.

"Are you sure?"

"Don't worry about me! Go out--and do whatever girls do on a Friday night!" Naruto insisted, waving it off.

It had been exactly a week since his encounter with Sasuke, and it never left his mind. Every night, he dreamed about it, then would wake up with a raging erection which he'd have to take care of before Sakura made her morning visit. He had been unusually anxious around Sakura, like he didn't know who she was. He knew it was because of Sasuke. He hated to admit it, but he really didn't love Sakura, and he never did. Sure, he liked her a lot, but he only thought of Sasuke. He felt guilty for leading Sakura on like this, for not telling her about Sasuke. The raven had said he'd figure something out, but Naruto was doubtful. There was a huge wall spaced between him and Sasuke, and it was too big for Sasuke to take. Naruto thought he might as well wait until he figured something out, let Sakura fawn over him like nothing had happened.

But Sakura knew something was wrong, and she was determined to find out what it was.

Naruto groggily awoke from yet another arousing dream, and groaned as he felt the discomfort of his erection. But as he raised his head, about rid himself of his little problem, he saw Sakura had already come over and was sitting patiently at the foot of the bed.

"Oh good, you're awake!" She chirped, holding out her hand. But Naruto refused to get up, waiting for his arousal to go down before he let her see him.

"Can I talk to you?"

"Go ahead." Naruto didn't meet her gaze.

"You've been acting strange lately…"

"Why do you say that?"

"I'm not sure, you just seem like you're not really there. Is there anything you want to tell me? I'm worried about you."

"I told you, I'm fine," Naruto said firmly, and he hoped his voice didn't waver. "There's nothing I need to tell you, really."

_I__ have to tell her. _

"I know you're keeping something from me, you know you can tell me anything."

_I have to tell her! _

"And…I think I have a right to worry about you! I don't like it when you're all dark and depressed!"

_I have to tell her!!! _

"Sakura, I think we should break up!" He burst out, wincing as he pictured Sakura's reaction.

"W-what?"

"I just don't think…it's working out. You're not my type." What the hell was he saying? Was he being so rude to her?

"W-why are you doing this?"

"It's complicated. If I could explain it, I would."

"So…that's it then?" Sakura's cheeks flared.

"N-no--"

"No, no, you don't need to explain anything to me, I understand," Sakura stood up curtly and put her hands on her hips. "How about you never talk to me again?"

"S-Sakura, I didn't mean--"

"I know _exactly _what you mean!" Sakura fumed. "You never liked me, did you? You were faking the whole time because you felt sorry for me!"

"That's not true!"

"Then tell me why you decided this."

"I said it's complicated. I can't tell you."

"Too complicated? _You can't tell me?! _You don't have a reason you--you--you jerk!" She spluttered, raising her hand and slapping Naruto clear across his face. He took it silently, knowing he deserved her anger. He wasn't sure why he had done it either.

"You know, Naruto, you're a real piece of work!" Sakura ranted, storming off towards the door. "I questioned your sanity, and you really are crazy! You just wait! You'll see what you're fucking missing!" With those final rage-filled words, she flung open the door and slammed it loudly, growling to herself as she stomped down the hallway. Naruto cringed as he screams echoed in his ears. Sakura was always the one to overreact, but maybe she actually acted rationally this time; after all, Naruto had just harshly broke up with her without so much as an explanation.

He knew the explanation: Sasuke. Sasuke was the reason he suddenly disliked Sakura, Sasuke was the reason he was having these shameful dreams, _Sasuke _was the one he so hopelessly fell in love with!

"Damn it!" Naruto said aloud, putting his face in his hands. Then, he realized that he was still painfully aroused. "It'll go down," he told himself, but even after minutes of sitting completely still, it was still as hard as ever. There was a dark feeling in the back of his mind that something had happened to Sasuke, something terrible. He knew where they were keeping him, he could try and see him, sneak out. But there was no way he could do that.

He laid his head on the damp pillow, closing his eyes to picture something else besides his discomfort. He tried to picture Sasuke, the last time he saw him. They were so happy…and now they were so far apart and their sadness intertwined together.

"I need to see him…"

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Sasuke woke up to bright sunlight seeping through the crack in the covered window. He raised his head, blinked a couple times, and kicked his legs over the bed. He got up and stretched, yawning at how early it was. He unhappily made his way out of his room to where Kabuto was quietly speaking with Orochimaru.

Sasuke grimaced.

He hated them both.

He didn't want to be there anymore, he had realized. He didn't need them to get his revenge on Itachi, though he wasn't sure he wanted to do that either. He could never forgive Itachi for what he did, but he wanted to escape the confines of being controlled, figure something out.

With Naruto.

"Sasuke," Kabuto greeted formally, nodding at Sasuke as he sat on the table opposite them.

"You look upset," Orochimaru commented, not looking up.

"I am," Sasuke replied pertly.

"What's the matter?"

"I want to leave."

"You'll get over it."

"I'm not sure I will." Sasuke knew arguing with them was pointless, but he felt particularly angry today.

"Would you rather get over it, or be punished?" Sasuke visibly paled at Kabuto's next sentence. Ever since his so-called _masters _had discovered he was in love with Naruto, they've done nothing but punish him. Apparently here, they punished with hard, painful sex. Sasuke hadn't grown used to it, and he hadn't accepted it. He endured it.

Orochimaru was somewhat gentle, more sympathetic than Kabuto was. But that didn't make him _nice. _

He could never tell Naruto what had happened in the past couple of weeks, especially since he hadn't even made an attempt to go back to his blonde. He was running out of options.

"Your type of punishment is illegal, you know." Sasuke launched into the same thing he said everyday.

"We know." They admitted like they did _everyday. _He was stuck in a routine, and he couldn't get out.

"It's to strengthen you, Sasuke," Kabuto insisted dully. "It's to make you durable to anything, it's to give you power."

"Yeah right." Sasuke hated acting like a bratty child, but that's what he felt like. He felt like throwing a fit and hurling things across the room. He could do that if he wanted to, it wouldn't change anything.

"I'm going out," Sasuke didn't wait for permission as he stalked outside into the cool winter air. The cold refreshed him, relaxed him, helped his clear his thoughts. He could run away right now, but they would catch him, bring him back, _punish _him.

He could feel Naruto's own sadness, feel that he was suffering just as much as Sasuke was. They were like to puzzle pieces; completely lonely and useless without the other. They needed to fit together in order to make the entire picture right. If they were missing, it looked wrong, _everything _was wrong.

He returned after about an hour of mindlessly wandering around, Orochimaru and Kabuto still in their exact places.

"You're too persistent," Orochimaru laughed, shaking his head. "You need to forget Naruto. He can't love you if you're not there."

"I'll find a way to go back to him, just wait."

"I doubt you'll ever come up with a simple plan! What have you done so far? Nothing!" Sasuke opened his mouth to protest, but Orochimaru was correct; he hadn't done _anything. _

"Exactly. Just forget, it's much easier." Sasuke, observant enough, saw a flicker of sadness cross Kabuto's eyes, but it was gone in an instant, replaced with a cruel glint of spite.

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Naruto spent the day alone. He wasn't used to his apartment being empty, and it unnerved him. He hoped Sakura would have cooled off a bit by tomorrow, at least enough so he could talk to her. Though, he wasn't sure what he could possibly say. He could apologize, but Sakura would never forgive him. He always thought Sakura would be the one to break up with him with a huge temper tantrum and a night to blow off some steam, and then they'd be friends the next day. This was not working out like it was supposed to.

He wanted to just sleep through the day, but every time he closed his eyes, he saw Sasuke. He saw his perfect form hovered above him, the love gleaming from his eyes. He wouldn't let himself cry, not even when he was alone.

It was almost like he was standing next to Sasuke, and could feel everything he was feeling. It wasn't right when they were apart, like part of the world was just out of place.

Naruto could only think of one thing that would guarantee them always being together, but that was out of the question.

He'd figure something out…he knew he would.

The next day, he went to Sakura's house. He had no idea what he would say, but he figured he had to do something or Sakura would think he didn't care about her at all. He did, just not as much as he thought he did.

"Sakura?" He called, knocking on the door. "It's me, open the door!" There was a silence, then the sound of locks clicking.

_She locked it, _he thought with a smirk. _She never locks her door. _

"What the hell do you want?" Sakura growled, opening the door just a crack. "Go away!"

"I just want to talk."

"I don't want to talk to you!"

"Please?" Sakura thought this over a second, then reluctantly agreed and let Naruto in.

"Talk," she said curtly, not allowing him to go farther into her apartment than the front door.

"I want to tell you something I should have told you a long time ago," he took a deep breath, wary of Sakura's expression.

"Okay."

"I'm…in love with Sasuke." He braced himself for the explosion, but there was only a thick tension in the air. The atmosphere was sad, not furious like Naruto had expected. He looked up to peek at the kunoichi, and she looked thoughtful, a small frown forming on her still-red face.

"S-Sakura?"

"I always knew," she whispered, more to herself than to Naruto. "I always thought that you and Sasuke had something that I didn't know about, but I refused to believe it. I thought _you_ were the one for me, not Sasuke. I gave him up for you, Naruto, but I shouldn't have. I'm not mad," she added hastily, seeing Naruto's disappointed look.

"I'm just…a little upset…" She averted her gaze. "But I understand. Really. I'm sorry I acted so harshly to you today. Thank you for telling me this, it means a lot that you can trust me." She smiled, but it immediately disappeared.

"What are you going to do?" Sakura voiced Naruto's own dreaded thought, and he cringed; he didn't know the answer.

"He can't come back to Konoha…" He muttered. "I can't go to him…I guess…nothing will ever happen." Sakura put her hand on Naruto's shoulder, trying to relax him.

"Don't let all this ruin your life," she instructed calmly. "If there's nothing you can do, there's nothing you can do."

"But I love him, Sakura!" Saying it again was harder, and his voice cracked. "I can't just forget about him!" She shook her head, didn't reply. He stood up without looking at her.

"I'm not coming back," he warned, but he knew he wasn't completely telling the truth. He was coming back, and he only hoped he could have Sasuke with him when he returned.

However, he knew the chances of that was close to none.

Sakura gave Naruto's hand a comforting squeeze, but he snatched it away.

He opened his mouth to say something more, but changed his mind at the last second, sprinting towards the door, not giving Sakura a backwards glance.

She watched him out the window, watching him run down the street, past the houses, all the way to the gate. He burst out of the village, not hesitating in rushing past the waving trees and vanishing down the hill.

Sakura was confident that Naruto only needed time to think, and would come back after he had reflected, but Naruto had something else in mind.

Confessing to Sakura had given him new motivation to be with Sasuke, even though he knew he was being dangerously impulsive. He wasn't thinking about what would happen if this didn't work, or the things he'd run into. He was only thinking about Sasuke.

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Sasuke spent the entire day locked up in his room, staring out the foggy window but not really seeing. He could hear Orochimaru and Kabuto talking outside the door, but he tried to block them out. Just hearing their voices was enough to anger him. He knew he would get punished later that night, not because he did anything wrong, but because they just liked to hurt him.

He waited until they called him down, and when they did he felt numb. He could think of one way out, and he knew he had nothing to lose. He had only Naruto.

Sasuke found with surprise that only Kabuto was downstairs, Orochimaru nowhere in sight. Sasuke suspected he might be looking for another body to posses to replace the one he currently had. Or maybe he was just being moody, and went to go kill some people, bring back innocent ninja with promises of the restoration of their clan or village, then just kill them after their job was done.

The latter option was the most likely...

"Come over here, Sasuke," Kabuto cooed, patting the chair next to him. The Uchiha unenthusiastically obeyed, letting Kabuto sling his arm around his waist, pulling him closer.

"You've been thinking of escaping," Kabuto commented lightly.

"Yes."

"You know you can't."

"I know." They shared no more words as Kabuto shoved him down on the floor and straddled him, kissing him fiercely. He was so used it, Sasuke wasn't even paying attention. The sudden harsh pumping of his member was a dull ache, and he gave a fake moan to show Kabuto he hadn't passed out already.

He was also used to being naked in front of people, and he was disappointed in himself that he did this everyday, most of the time more than once. But at this point, he felt nothing.

Kabuto never prepared, and there was no shock as he shoved himself fully in. He whimpered; he hardly ever screamed anymore.

"You seem ready today," Kabuto grunted, pulling out and thrusting all the way back in. "A-any reason why?" Sasuke didn't reply, so Kabuto went on.

"I know y-you've heard this a million times, b-but it's not worth it--"

"I-I don't w-want to hear it!" Sasuke interrupted hotly, balling his hands up into fists.

"Fine then," Kabuto chuckled. "Whatever you say…" It continued like that for a while, and Sasuke could feel himself getting close. He was about to yell a warning, but the front door flung open, silencing them both. There, in the doorway, stood Naruto, looking flustered and scared.

"S-Sasuke!" He stammered, staring down at the scene before him. "W-what…?"

"Naruto!" Sasuke cried in relief. Naruto looked so beautiful, especially since they hadn't seen each other in so long. Sasuke wanted to run over and embrace him, but he was a little immobile at the moment.

"You just can't give you, can you?" Kabuto sneered at the blonde. "You came all the way here, unaware of the things you would face. How idiotic! Is this what you came to see?" Kabuto thrust into Sasuke with unbearable strength, making Naruto's eyes widen, his hands trembling. "You're both too wrapped up in your useless love to think about the consequences of your devotion to each other!" Naruto leapt forward to tackle Kabuto, but he was too quick. He abadonned Sasuke quickly, catching Naruto in mid-air and pinning him to the ground. Sasuke tried to stand up, but, without even turning around, Kabuto flung two kunai behind him, piercing Sasuke's palms and nailing him to the wall.

"Sasuke!" Naruto cried, struggling against Kabuto's powerful grip, more kunai slicing his ankles into the floor.

"Shut up!" Kabuto snarled, digging more kunai from his weapons pouch and putting them at Naruto's neck.

"Don't hurt him!" Sasuke shouted, pulled against the points in his flesh, even though every time he moved, it dug deep into his hand. "I'll do anything!"

"Of course you would," Kabuto hissed. "This will be better for all of us if your precious lover just _died_!"

"Don't kill him!" Sasuke pleaded. "It's not his fault!"

"Orochimaru..." Sasuke narrowed his eyes in confusion at Kabuto's muttering. What did Orochimaru have to with anything? Could he possibly be the reason for Kabuto's revenge?! "Why did you have to do this...?" He went on, talking to himself. Naruto lay beneath him, shivering with silent tears pouring down his cheeks. "What did I do to make you hate me?"

_It's true..._ Sasuke thought, collecting it all together. _Kabuto and Orochimaru must have had some sort of relationship, only to end with Kabuto alone and broken hearted. Of all people, Kabuto should have know it would turn out like that! Orochimaru has no feelings for anyone, it's all for his power. But I guess Kabuto never forgot...and that's why he's so bitter, especially about Naruto. He's jealous of our happiness. That's why he wants him dead, that's why he did all those things to me... _Despite everything, Sasuke couldn't help but to feel a bit guilty for Kabuto. He didn't know that kind of heart break; the only one he ever loved was Naruto.

"Kabuto, don't take your sadness out on us," Sasuke said calmly. "Don't take Orochimaru's cruelty personally. He'd do that to anyone."

"No..." Kabuto whispered, stumbling away from Naruto to his postion between Sasuke's legs. "It's impossible to have a love so strong..."

"It's not," Sasuke said quietly. However, Kabuto wasn't about to listen to the Uchiha. He pulled out another kunai and gently slit a small line of his throat. Sasuke gasped, and Naruto whimpered. A small trail of blood slid down his neck.

"You're not going to kill me," he said, his voice cracking. "Orochimaru wouldn't let you!"

"Orochimaru won't be able to do anything about it!" Kabuto howled. His eyes had a strange glint to them, clouded with madness.

Naruto watched with horror as Kabuto pressed the tip of the blade to Sasuke's still crimson throat.

"Stop!" He squeaked, but Kabuto had lost all sight of the rest of the world.

"Too late now," he grinned sadistically. "While Naruto watches, too. What a terrible end."

"Kabuto! Don't!" He desperately tried to wriggle away, but he couldn't pry his hands away the wall to even make a hand sign. He kicked his legs up, but Kabuto sprinted around them to curl his fingers arund Sasuke's neck.

"Kabuto!" Naruto screamed, but there was nothing he could do. It was like it was in slow motion as Kabuto dug the kunai straight across Sasuke's throat.

Blood spurted out in rain, splattering onto Naruto's tear stricken face. Sasukes eyes would not close as his eyes as his head lolled to the side, Kabuto's manical laughter ringing in his ears.

"What's with the sad face, Naruto?" He asked hysterically, bringing the blood-stained kunai to his own throat. He stumbled to the ground, meeting the same fate as Sasuke.

Silence.


	8. Chapter 8

**AN: It's not over. Not yet. My best friend here EVER who's name I can never spell, I'm going to call her Gaara-kun, gave me an idea for the last chatper. Sorry for springing this all of a sudden, but...just wait a little longer, and the LAST chapter will up soon. I hope you people like it! It started out as like, a really stupid crack fic I'd probably finish with a happy ending, but THEN! I had another idea. And here it is. Sorry I haven't been around, I got sick. Again. Sorry. This has been a bad winter for me...so! What I always do to make you guys forgive me, I'm posting two things today. You don't have to wait for neglected updates from me all the time, wondering "did she die?" The answer to that question: Yes, I did. Please give me your respects.  
Please review! Thanks, and don't be too mad at me XD I try...not really...(see the little stars at the end? That's how cool I am. I know how to use the awesomeoness of my keyboard keypad letter thingies!)**

**DISCLAIMER: I don't own Naruto one little bit, but I wish I did...the fun I would have. If I spelled anything wrong, sorry sorry sorry....I check it, I swear!**

* * *

Naruto awoke to emptiness. He rolled over, surprised he didn't see his raven lover in bed with him.

He sat up, finding himself in a small, dark hospital room. He surveyed the room suspiciously; there was a large lock on the door, and his hands were tied to the metal bed posts.

"Sasuke?" He called, waiting for the Uchiha to come into the room, untie him, tell him he loved him. There was the sound of locks turning, and the door opened cautiously. Sakura poked her head in. There were dried tears on her face.

"N-Naruto?" She seemed reluctant to come inside, staring at Naruto with wide eyes.

"Sakura, where's Sasuke?" He asked. A fresh wave of tears spilled over Sakura's cheeks. "What's wrong?"

"Y-you don't remember anything?" She sniffled.

"R-remember what?" She gave him once last heartbroken look before scurrying off. She was gone for a moment, then reappeared with Tsunade at her side. She also looked wary of him.

"So Naruto, you feeling okay?" She asked slowly.

"Yes," he answered. "Where's Sasuke?"

"Naruto, try to tell me everything you remembered from yesterday."

"Yesterday?" He searched his mind with puzzlement. "Um…I remember talking to Sakura…"

"And after that?" He shook his head.

"Where's Sasuke?" He asked, a little more forceful this time. Tsunade gathered up his left hand while Sakura took his right. "W-what's going on here?"

"Naruto…yesterday, you came home with Sasuke," Tsunade said carefully. She had no nice way to tell him this; she wasn't looking forward to his reaction.

"Then where is he?"

"Naruto…" She took a deep breath. "He's dead." Sakura burst into tears, running out of the room and slamming the door behind her.

It all came flooding back.

His realization that Kabuto had gone insane because of his broken heart caused by Orochimaru. When Naruto had shown up looking for Sasuke, it had pushed him over the edge.

He remembered the blood, the two lifeless bodies before him. He remembered dragging Sasuke home, leaving a thick trail of blood as he limped all the way to Konoha. And then, as soon as the raven was back at the Leaf Village, there was nothing but darkness.

He couldn't remember what he was feeling, then, but now it was perfectly clear.

Sasuke was dead.

The one he was in love with, the one he'd do anything for…

Was dead.

"N-no!" He whispered, yanking against the ropes tying him to the bed. "It's not true."

"Naruto, I'm sorry." Tsunade blinked rapidly, keeping her composure in front of Naruto.

After he had burst into her office with Sasuke, he had collapsed. Though it didn't take long for him to wake up again. He had stirred in the middle of the night, screaming Sasuke's name, running aimlessly around the hospital hallways. Every time someone tried to go near him, he'd run off at full speed, hiding in the most strangest of places.

When Tsunade had finally got a hold of him, she was forced to bring him to this room and bind him so he wouldn't escape.

He pained her, and all of his friends, to see him like this. They all liked Sasuke, but not as much as Naruto did. They would never know their bond, and now, they never would.

It was unbearable watching the blonde slowly comprehend the situation. It was like she was watching him deteriorate before her eyes.

"No…!" He yelped, pulling harshly on the bed posts. The entire frame shook, but the ropes were strong and he couldn't break free. "He can't be dead! He just can't be!" It was all a dream…he'd wake up with Sasuke safely by his side. The raven would collect him into his arms, kiss his forehead and tell him it was just a bad dream.

But he didn't wake up.

His Sasuke was gone.

He vaguely heard Tsunade's anxious voice calling someone else in, but he couldn't see what was going on. All he could see was Sasuke, smiling at him.

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Naruto was kept bound for another couple days, until Tsnuade was sure he'd be fine on his own without supervision.

Even then, he wasn't released from the hospital.

He still hoped none of it was really happening. Sasuke would come back soon. He knew it.

But as the weeks went by, and Sasuke never returned, he gradually began to realize he never _was _coming back. It was like his entire world had just exploded, and he was being attacked by the falling pieces of it. After all the sleepless nights, the pointless plans, it was all for nothing. Their idea of one day finally being together was crushed, along with Naruto's heart and mind.

Unfortunately, there was nothing anybody could do to console him. They tried to tell him that even though it would take a while to get over it, in time, he'd learn to move on.

He had retorted that there was nothing to move on to. As far as he was concerned, there was no reason for even living anymore.

Even Sakura couldn't reassure him. She stayed with him day and night, holding his hand, but she wasn't sure he even knew she was there. He was quite in his own place, silently seeking Sasuke, the second half to his life. Some way to understand what to do. He couldn't even take it out on Kabuto, because he was dead anyways...

There was just nothing anymore.

Sometimes, Sakura would find Naruto up in the middle of the night with a knife to his wrist. The first time that happened, she'd cried the whole while, hauling him off to Tsunade. Now, it was just something she'd always have to worry about stopping. She was doing everything she could to bring Naruto to his senses, but there was just some things she couldn't do. There was some things Naruto had to do on his own. Everyone was waiting for the day that Naruto would at last break out of his secluded shell and come back to the real world, but it was taking much too long. It was like everything passed by him in a quick blur, without really giving him time to comprehend it.

It was a rainy Friday night, the seventh week after Sasuke's death. Naruto was curled up on his bed, Sakura sleeping on a chair on the other side of the room.

An arm gently wrapped around his waist, and he opened his eyes to see Sasuke.

"S-Sasuke?" He murmured. "H-have you come back to me?" In the back of his mind, he knew it was only an illusion, created by his mind this time, instead of Sasuke's own jutsu. But he couldn't pass up the opportunity to pretend Sasuke was still alive.

Sasuke trailed a wispy finger along Naruto's jaw line, tickling his parted lips before softly kissing them. They stayed in that blissful state for another moment before Sasuke drifted away, floating out the window.

"Sasuke…?" He called, tiptoeing out of bed and gliding past Sakura. The illusion was gone, but something told him where he needed to go, what he needed to do.

He looked back at Sakura, kissing her discreetly on the cheek before moving off again. He said a silent goodbye to all his other friends, to Tsunade and to Iruka, to everyone who helped him make it this far.

Was he giving up? Yes, but he was going to something much more important. He loved everyone who had brought him from his depression when he was young, helped him become as strong as he was.

He supposed he was wasting all their efforts, but they weren't important right now. He'd always remember them, think of them. They would move on just as they told him to do. He'd want them to forget, the task he had failed at. They would be much better at forgetting him, and he was sure they would understand why he did it. There was something, some_one _that he needed, like the air he breathed. Without this essential, he wouldn't be able to breathe at all.

Wouldn't his friends want that? For him to be with that wonderful air that fueled his exsistence?

He padded mutely across the wet grass in bare feet, making his way to long canyon that separated them from the Village Hidden in the Mist. A vast stretch of water lay before him.

At the edge of the water, hovering above the gushing ripples, was Sasuke. He held out his hand for Naruto, and he reached for it, closing the gap between them that he had been trying to banish all this time.

As he stepped over the side of the cliff, he thought,

_Strange…this started with an illusion. And now it's all going to end with…_

_*****_

_An illusion _

_*****_


	9. Chapter 9

**A/N: Yes, this is the end this time. I know I always SAY it's over, and then end up adding yet another chapter. But this time I promise it's over, and it ended pretty happy, huh? I'm glad I'm finally done with another chapter fiction, because I've got DOZENS of other stories I wanna add, but not all at once...I want to hurry up and finish Stockholm Syndrome and Everyday With You, both of them have only one chapter left.  
BUT YOU PEOPLE STILL HAVEN'T ANSWERED ME!! I wrote two extra chapters to Everyday With You, one is a KakuSasu, and the other a KankuKiba. It has NO GaaNaru in it, so that's why I might not post it. It's just about their friends and enemies going on and finding their own soulmates, thanks to the held of GAARA!! LOL, and Naruto helped a little too. I might not add those chapters, but if you PEOPLE want them, then please tell me, and I will add them!  
Thanks to all my faithful reviewers who have kept up with me for this long!! Free apple cinnamon muffins to everyone who reviews! (Because everyone gives away cookies, and my mom makes freaking AWESOME apple cinnamon muffins..I can't get through the day without one...SO EVERYONE WHO REVIEWS GETS ONE! Ah, what the hell, how bout everyone in the world? I Love you al!!)**

* * *

**THREE YEARS LATER**

Sakura walked solemnly through the rain, ignoring the hard drops that pelted her skin and soaked her clothes. Her drenched hair stuck to her neck, and her eyes stung, but she didn't care. Nothing could keep her away on this day, this very important day.

They day Naruto killed himself. Just a few months after Sasuke was killed.

She cringed, the memory brings unwanted tears to her eyes. She knew crying wasn't going to bring them back, but it was hard to keep them in.

She padded through the damp grass, shivering, until she reached the twin graves, blackened by the rain;

_Naruto Uzumaki_

_Sasuke Uchiha_

She stood there for a moment, motionless, her arms crossed tightly at her chest, as if she would break if she didn't hold herself together. Sometimes, that's exactly what she felt like; one day, she would just snap in half, because of all the strain on her heart.

Despite the wet ground, she fell to her knees and bent her head down, silent sobs racking through her body.

_It's all my fault, _she thought miserably, repeating to herself the same thing she said everyday. _If I had just tried harder to keep Naruto going, I'd still have him. I should have stayed around him more, helped him more, and maybe he would still be here. But he couldn't live without Sasuke…even though he had all his friends. I guess it just wasn't enough. _

"I can't live anymore!" She cried aloud, pounding her fist into the dirt. "Not without both of you! It's all my fault!" She pressed her forehead into the grass and cried, cried until her throat burned and she could barely breathe. Nobody was around, they wouldn't come out on a day like this. But the rain just proved that Sakura was truly done. Done with going on, and she was going to admit defeat.

It was too hard, too painful to wake up everyday without a team. It wasn't the same. She didn't have Naruto to follow her with annoying questions about a date, she didn't have Sasuke to make her want to fight harder to be a better kunoichi.

When Naruto confessed to her that he was in love with Sasuke, Sakura was at first devastated. All she ever wanted was to have Sasuke like her, respect her, and she spent all her time and every fiber of her being working towards that goal. She wanted to be stronger, smarter, better, she wanted to show Sasuke she wasn't the weak girl he thought she was. She thought she loved Sasuke so much, but really, she didn't give it too much thought.

She had always been so selfish…Naruto gave everything to her, and was willing to give more, and she pushed him away. She treated him so badly, and he never ceased to love her. Finally, when Sasuke showed them all that the Leaf Village never meant anything to him, Sakura realized nothing would ever happen. Sasuke was gone, and he left with hatred for her and the rest of the village.

And there was Naruto with open arms, ready to take in a broken Sakura and do anything for her.

_Maybe I should give him a shot, _she had thought. _Maybe Naruto isn't that bad. _She knew she could never get over Sasuke, but Naruto made the hurt fade. He was always there, determined and optimistic, no matter how grim things looked.

However, as time went by, Naruto grew distant. He talked about Sasuke more and more, wondering where he was, what he was thinking, so on, and it was confusing for both of them. They had moved on from Sasuke, hadn't they?

And then…the illusions started. She figured she had lost Naruto to memories and sadness, and the future looked dark. Naruto wasn't getting well, and he refused to believe that Sasuke had just been a part of his imagination.

Then, Sakura understood. It all flooded into her mind, the hints, the illusions, Naruto being cold and isolated, the opposite of his personality.

Sasuke and Naruto were in love, and there was nothing she could do to get between them. And actually, she didn't want to. Sasuke would be happy with Naruto, and wasn't that what she wanted all along? She reluctantly accepted this, even though it took some time for her to be joyful for them. Naruto said he wasn't coming back, but Sakura had dismissed it as a weird moment Naruto was going through, that he just needed some time alone to think it over.

Well, Naruto did come back. With another dead body.

Right then and there, Sakura thought she would explode. Her obsession, her reason for pushing on, was gone forever.

But every time she felt like dying herself, she'd look at Naruto. She'd see his pale face, sullen eyes, thin body, almost ghost like appearance, and she'd remind herself it wasn't just her who was mourning Sasuke.

Her love for Sasuke had been foolish, young, one-sided, quick, unthought-of, and there were so many doubts and problems. But Naruto's love for the Uchiha was real and strong. And most importantly, it was returned.

Naruto must have been going through hell, and it showed. Day after day, he looked even worse. He stopped talking, stopped eating. It pained them all to see their favorite blonde tied to his bed with tears pouring down his cheeks, shouting, "it's not true!!"

When Naruto had especially bad days, the despair crept back up on Sakura. When he began cutting himself, claiming there was no more reason to live, Sakura knew she had try harder. She gave all her love to Naruto, just like he had done for her countless times, but it turned out that it wasn't enough.

Naruto had left her, his friends, his villages, his dreams. All for Sasuke. Was his devotion that powerful? Was he so willing to give everything up for one person?

Maybe she would never understand why Naruto had made his choice, and perhaps, she never would. But she _did _understand that she was done.

"I'm done with it!" She sobbed, disgusted with herself that she had been beaten. But at this point, it didn't matter what she thought of herself, it didn't matter what she was leaving behind, it didn't matter. All that mattered was escaping.

"Sakura…" A light voice said, and she snapped her head up to look around. Standing in front of her, was Naruto and Sasuke.

She blinked a few times, trying to clear her vision of the hallucinations. But they did not weaken.

"N-Naruto…?" She rasped. "S…S-Sasuke?"

"Sakura, don't cry," Naruto instructed, kneeling down to wipe away the tears streaming down Sakura's face. His fingers felt so real, so full and warm, but Sakura reminded herself that that couldn't be possible, so she did not reply.

"Sakura, please listen to me," Naruto said, more urgently. "It's _not _your fault."

"W-what…?"

"I wanted you to move on, something I obviously failed at. It would be better for you to get over me. Don't forget me, just think of all the good times we had together, huh?" He smiled hugely, looking at Sakura face to face. She noticed that even though he was inches from her, his hand was still clasped with Sasuke's, who just stared down at her with an unreadable expression.

"I shouldn't have left you behind," Naruto admitted sadly. "But I knew I couldn't live without Sasuke. I know you don't think you can live either, but you're stronger than that!"

"B-but…" Sakura tried to keep herself together, after all, her best friends weren't really there, she just _thought _they were. There was no reason to spill out her heart to two illusions.

But seeing them again was wonderful and agonizing at the same time, and she needed to do _something. _

"It's so hard!" Sakura broke down, letting her head fall on Naruto's fleshy shoulder. It felt slim but muscular, just like the real Naruto.

"I know, I know it's hard Sakura!" Naruto soothed, stroking her hair. "But you can do it! I'm positive that you can. Deep in your heart Sakura, believe that I'm still with you. Always." She sniffled until all the rest of her tears were gone, and then she gazed up to Sasuke, who grinned slyly at her.

"Even though you are annoying…" he said, and Sakura slightly smiled back. Sasuke was teasing her, she could tell with the caring tone of his voice. "Naruto is right. You're better than this. If you're so set on impressing me, I want you to move on. Continue your life."

"S-Sasuke…" She had never received such meaningful words from Sasuke, and suddenly, she thought she would be okay. Maybe, in time, she'd learn to move on, like they told her to.

"That's better," Naruto grinned at her, and she realized that he had stopped crying. And strangely, she didn't feel like starting again. "I think you're going to be fine. We've never far away, you know that. Whenever you feel lonely or sad, remember that you can talk to us whenever you want." Sakura nodded obediently and rose to her feet, brushing mud off her knees as she wiped her eyes, more confident than she had been in a long time.

Naruto smiled at her, and even Sasuke grinned lightly.

"Sasuke…?" She had one more question before she was ready to move on.

"Hmm?"

"W-why did you leave?" Sasuke visibly tensed and tightened his grip on Naruto's hand, which didn't bother Sakura in the least. She knew they were soul mates forever.

"I didn't leave the Leaf Village, and I didn't leave you or Naruto or my friends," Sasuke replied tightly. "I left for revenge, which turned out to be a pretty shitty reason." Sakura bit her lip, hearing the truth in Sasuke's voice. He regretted leaving, and instead of feeling satisfied, Sakura only felt sorrow for the raven. She thought she would be happy when Sasuke came crawling back to Konoha, apologizing and pleading forgiveness, because he knew what he had done was a bad decision.

But Sakura was a changed person now, after many obstacles, she knew the hardest rocks in her path were cleared.

"I understand," Sakura said, shaking her wet hair out of her face. "Thank you for telling me this, Naruto, Sasuke. I love you both." Naruto giggled, but Sasuke merely scoffed, a tint of happiness in his blank eyes.

And they disappeared, leaving nothing behind except the faint air of their presence and the very important message they gave her.

Her tears gone, Sakura turned back towards the Leaf Village, and she swore she could feel two hands on both of hers, guiding her back to her life.

Things were never better.


End file.
